Shippin' Out October 2-8: Rage, Dark Souls

The first week of October is marked by the release of several high-profile debuts, including a new intellectual property from the developer behind Doom and Quake, the 2012 iteration of the NBA 2K series, and more.

Leading the pack this week is id Software's postapocalyptic shooter Rage for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC. Originally slated for release in September, the game is set on a postapocalyptic Earth in the midst of recovering from an asteroid collision, where humans have emerged from underground "arks" like the vaults in the Fallout games.

Players assume the role of a survivor who has emerged from an ark and subsequently been outfitted with an array of performance-enhancing nanotechnology and some powerful ranged weaponry. Rage is based on the id Tech 5 engine, the latest development toolset crafted by the company's chief technical officer, John Carmack.

While the real-world NBA season is currently embroiled in a potentially season-nixing lockout, a virtual tipoff is locked in for Tuesday. NBA 2K12 arrives for the Xbox 360, PS3, PC, Wii, and PSP this week, and with it comes a new mode: NBA's Greatest. This mode has players suiting up as 15 iconic NBA players and re-creating some of the famous matchups in professional basketball history.

Arriving in time to spook gamers before Halloween, From Software's Demon's Souls follow-up Dark Souls arrives on the PS3 and Xbox 360 this Tuesday. The action role-playing game, which debuted strongly in Japan, is set in a dark fantasy world complete with dungeons and otherworldly creatures to battle. Unlike its predecessor, Dark Souls features a variety of outdoor areas that are seamlessly connected to one another.

The next Spider-Man movie isn't due out until next year, but gamers can get their hands on a new game featuring the friendly neighborhood wallcrawler this Tuesday. Spider-Man: Edge of Time tasks players with saving the life of Peter Parker in the modern-day Spider-Man universe in order to prevent an errant timeline from creating a bleak, apocalyptic future. The game will feature "cause and effect" gameplay, where one Spider-Man's actions will affect the other Spider-Man's timeline.

Gamers looking to bust a move this week can pick up Just Dance 3 for the Wii and Xbox 360. The title will be the first entry in the series to be released outside of the Wii and will support Kinect for the Xbox 360. Just Dance 3 will sport more than 45 tracks spanning multiple genres of music, including rock, pop, hip-hop, disco, rap, funk, and others. Some of these tunes include "Take On Me" by A-ha, "E.T." by Katy Perry, and "Barbra Streisand" by Duck Sauce.

For further details on the week's games, visit GameSpot's New Releases page. The full list of downloadable games on the PlayStation Store, Xbox Live Marketplace, and Wii Shop Channel will be revealed later this week. Release dates are based on retailer listings and are subject to change.

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 2
Tetris Axis--3DS--Nintendo

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 4
Dark Souls--X360, PS3--Namco Bandai Games
Eufloria--PS3--Sony
Face Racers: Photo Finish--3DS--Majesco
Gabrielle's Ghostly Groove--3DS--Natsume
Kids Learn Math A+ Edition--DS--Talking Stick Games
Motion Explosion--X360--Majesco
NBA 2K12--X360, PS3, PS2, PC, WII, PSP--2K Sports
Payday: The Heist--PC, PS3--Sony Online Entertainment
Rage--X360, PC, PS3--Bethesda Softworks
Spider-Man: Edge of Time--PS3, X360, DS, 3DS, WII--Activision

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5
Orcs Must Die--X360--Robot Entertainment

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 7
JASF: Jane's Advanced Strike Fighters--PS3--Maximum Family Games
Just Dance 3--Wii, X360--Ubisoft